PlasticsEurope launches new polystyrene recycling drive

European trade association, PlasticsEurope, has announced the launch of an industry-wide initiative to encourage the recycling of polystyrene.

In a bid to support the European Union’s circular economy plan, the new initiative will focus on chemical recycling, with the aim of converting post-consumer polystyrene waste into virgin polystyrene.

PlasticsEuopre says new technologies will enable the incorporation of post-consumer waste into plastic manufacturers’ production processes. The target, it adds, is to generate high-quality polystyrene to meet the most demanding standards, but ultimately for food contact applications.

“These technologies, through an extensive collaboration along the value chain, will provide efficient and sustainable solutions to today’s environmental challenges,” explained Norbert Niessner, Chairman of the Chemical Recycling Working Group that is running the initiative.

“The initiative paves the way to increasing the circularity of plastics. Finding new ways to recycle represents an increased opportunity to save valuable resources for future generations and avoid plastics ending up in landfills” said Karl-H. Foerster, Executive Director, PlasticsEurope.

“New recycling technologies can further enhance the recovery of high value feedstock from consumer waste”, he explained.

The initiative is part of the activities announced by PlasticsEurope during the K2016 trade fair to maximise the fullest potential of plastics in delivering resource efficiency gains within the circular economy.